Posted on 03/04/2006 10:07:22 AM PST by SandRat
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (March 2, 2006) -- Karla Comfort received a lot of looks and even some salutes from people when she drove from Benton, Ark., to Camp Pendleton, Calif., in her newly-painted, custom Hummer H3 March 2.
The vehicle is adorned with the likeness of her son, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, and nine other Marines with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division who where all killed by the same improvised explosive device blast in Fallujah, Iraq, in December.
For Comfort, having the vehicle air brushed with the image of the 10 Marines was a way to pay homage to her hero and his fellow comrades who fell on Iraqs urban battlefield.
I wanted to let people know (Marines) are doing their jobs honorably, and some of them die, said the 39-year-old from Portland, Ore. I dont want people to forget the sacrifices that my son and the other Marines made.
Leading up to her sons death, Comfort had received several letters from him prior to his return. He had been deployed for five months, and Comfort worried everyday he was gone until she got the letters and found out the date he was coming home, she said.
Marines knocked on the front door of her home in Farmington, Mich., at 3 a.m. with the dreadful news.
I let my guard down when I found out he was coming home, she said. There are times that I still cannot believe it happened. Its very hard to deal with.
Comfort came up with the idea for the rolling memorial when she and her two other sons attended Johns funeral in Portland, Ore.
I saw a Vietnam (War) memorial on a car, and I said to my son Josh, we should do something like that for John, she recalled. He loved Hummers.
She purchased the vehicle in January and immediately took it to AirbrushGuy & Co. in Benton, Ark., where artist Robert Powell went to work on changing the plain, black vehicle into a decorative, mobile, art piece.I only had the vehicle for two days before we took it in, she joked.
After 250 man-hours, Powell had completed the vehicle.
I love it, she said. Im really impressed with it, and I think John would be happy with the vehicle. He would have a big smile on his face because he loved Hummers.
Comfort game Powell basic instructions on what to include in the paint job. But in addition to the image of her son in Dress Blues and the faces of the nine other Marines, there were several surprises.
He put a lot more on than I expected, she said. I think my favorite part is the heaven scene.
On the left side of the vehicle, a detail of Marines are depicted carrying their fallen comrades through the clouds to their final resting place. The American flag drapes across the hood, the words, Semper Fi crown the front windshield and the spare tire cover carries the same Eagle Globe and Anchor design that her son had tattooed on his back.
Comfort received the paintjob free.
All the support I have been getting is wonderful, she said.
Comfort decided to move back to her hometown of Portland, and making the cross-country trip from Arkansas was a way for her to share her sons story. Its also her way of coping with the loss.
Along the way I got nothing but positive feedback from people, she said. What got to me was when people would salute the guys (Marines). Its hard to look at his picture. I still cry and try to get used to the idea, but its hard to grasp the idea that hes really gone.
Caution may cause blurry screen.
Truly, those men Were US Marines...
BTTT
I think the U.S. Marines should make Robert Powell, the Airbursh Guy, an honorary Marine! What a job, 250 hours donated to the memory of those 10 brave men. Semper Fi!
If I lived close to Benton, AR, I would go by and contribute something to that shop!
hmmmm,... wonder what a bunch of emails to Mail Call and Gunny R. Lee on this would do?????? hmmmmmmmmm.......
Ping fo pics
To ALL you others, Freema was gracious enough to provide me her ping list for just this article.
Below are larger size pictures than those found in the Marine Corps News's article. To read the article, click on the narrative at the bottom of the thread.
[Mr] T
Rats.
Lets try this again. [Mrs] Trooprally was able to get the pics onto her photobucket account. This works with the AARs, so I assume it will work with these.
If not, then please excuse the ping.
[Mr] Trooprally
Larger size pictures of those at the bottom of the Marine Corps Article.
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4
Pic 5
Pic 6
Thanks. The picture of the five of them. How very sobering. They lived in honor. We shall remember their honor and sacrifice. Now they are the Lord's to craddle.
Yea - the smaller pics don't do justice to this rolling memorial.
I'm glad that the pics came up this time. I should have known about transferring pics directly from an email.
Semper Fi
[Mr] T
www.link4u.com/kissedmyson.htm
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.